Zug, capital of the canton of the same name, lies at the northeast end of the Zuger See (Lake Zug), above which rises the flat-topped ridge of the Zugerberg. Tax advantages have attracted over 1,300 multinational companies to the town.
Zug was founded in 1242 by the counts of Kyburg. In 1273, it was
inherited by the Habsburgs and became an important stronghold against the forest cantons which, in 1352, founded the confederation. In 1415, Zug was given a charter as a free imperial town and when the canton was formed in 1803 Zug was made the capital.